On Friday I asked Hobson's Pledge supporters to back us in the fight against the snatching up of New Zealand's shores.
It was an immense relief to me that we received such an overwhelming response. I was horrified to see the map (below) showing that virtually New Zealand's entire coast has either been awarded to iwi, is under High Court application, or is being negotiated directly with the Government. I am glad to see I am not alone in my concern.
Bolstered by the backing of supporters like you, we immediately got to work setting up a campaign to call attention to the need to oppose the land/shore grab.
We are calling it: SAVE OUR SHORES
The first step is a petition. We are asking New Zealanders to sign their names if they agree with our demand for the Government to return the foreshore and seabed to public ownership.
>>> SIGN THE PETITION <<<
We will be running lots of ads on social media that will draw attention to the issue and the petition. You will see them on Facebook and Instagram. We ask that you share our posts and ads to your own accounts so that your friends and families have the opportunity to sign the petition too. It is vital that we spread the word.
Our first job is to make New Zealanders aware of what is happening. The media will not report honestly on the matter, so we have to go around them.
As I said in my Friday email, we have to speak directly to Kiwis. We are kicking off the social media aspect of the campaign immediately and will be focused on gathering signatures for the petition to demonstrate the strength of feeling surrounding this.
I wanted to update you right away on this first stage, but there will be more to come. Rest assured I will be in touch to let you know as our strategy develops.
The central point we will be shouting from the rooftops is that we are all New Zealanders and public ownership must be restored.
Can I ask that you forward this email on to others who you think are likely to share our concerns about this? If everyone sends it on to one or two friends or family members we will have signatures rolling in for our petition.
I will include the link to the Save Our Shores fund here too in case those you forward the email to would like to chip in. Click here to contribute.